Downton Abbey

[carrier76]

Anybody watch? I was satisfied.

[forever1267]

It was nice. Everyone ended happy and with someone, at least, everyone heterosexual did.

I was totally waiting for the moment when Spratt and Denker did it!

[tabby]

I loved it and shed many happy tears. Carson and Mrs. Hughes even called each other "Charlie" and "Elsie!"

And I loved the Dowager's laughter when she was reading Spratt's Agony Aunt column.

[Deleted]

The final episode made me realize once again how much I hated Daisy. Like, from beginning to end, there wasn't a single period where I was able to tolerate that character. She was so selfish and horrible to lots of people, but we were supposed to find her adorable? Mary was selfish and horrible too but I never thought the audience was expected to cheer for her. She had her good sides too. Daisy though? What a terrible character. I think I even prefered Denker.

[piscessiren]

`00 21

Sorry all, my computer had a hiccup.

On Downton Abbey: I think I will miss the clothes most of all, and when Isis was just known as the Crawley's dog.

[Shalamar]

Totally agree about Daisy. And how did she not get into trouble for borrowing that hair dryer? It was Mary's, and she took it without permission. Anyhoo ...

I know that he was a bad 'un, but I was seriously cheering for Mr. Barrow when he was invited back to be the head butler. Carson gets to live out his life comfortably on a pension, close to the family he loves and with a loving wife, while Mr. Barrow gets the position he always wanted. That almost made me happier than Edith's wedding!

[Deleted]

Mar 7, 2016 13:39:11 GMT -4 Shalamar said:

Totally agree about Daisy. And how did she not get into trouble for borrowing that hair dryer? It was Mary's, and she took it without permission. Anyhoo ...

I know that he was a bad 'un, but I was seriously cheering for Mr. Barrow when he was invited back to be the head butler. Carson gets to live out his life comfortably on a pension, close to the family he loves and with a loving wife, while Mr. Barrow gets the position he always wanted. That almost made me happier than Edith's wedding!

Yeah but....how long is he going to get to enjoy that position? The house is going to downsize and surely, a butler is someone they can do without, right? I was happy for him because it was something he always wanted but I would have prefered an ending for Thomas where he found someone he could be happy with.

[Mugsy]

I started binge-watching this show a couple weeks ago and am into the beginning of season 4. I have read this thread until page 39 to stay spoiler free. I knew about Matthew's death because of all the media hype at the time, so I wonder if I might have been more shocked at the time. Glad to see him gone just because I dislike Mary so, her I imperious haughtiness makes my slapping hand itchy.

Random thoughts:
Why are Mary and her mother so bitchy and dismissive of Edith? Yes, the Pamuk thing was mean, but I always thought that was in response to their treatment of her. They always show Mary and her mother exchanging "Oh, Edith!" glances as if they are oh, so superior.

The Macguffins in this show are epic. Not only random letters that magically are delivered at just the right time (not to mention written), but a fiancée who conveniently dies so that the power couple can get together. But the Macmuffiniest Macguffin is that damn bar of soap. Putting a bar of soap next to the tub hardly guarantees that that bather will step on it. And even if she does, that she will fall (although I realize some of these highborn women can't even exit a bathtub without help). And that even if she falls, she will miscarry. That seemed like a huge stretch of an evil plan, even though of course it worked.

And this lifestyle baffles me. I realize they're providing employment, but damn. They can't even put on a friggin bathrobe by themself? And once they're married, they have breakfast in bed? I'd die of boredom in that life. And I'd hate to have some servant fussing over me all the time. And the fuss about the wrong dinner jacket, gawd. These men and women are fancier dressed around the house doing nothing than we were at our kids weddings. No wonder the lifestyle died.

And why is the exterior of the castle so austere? Just a house surrounded by the lane and bare lawn. Where are the gardens? Someone asked Sybil if the gardens in Ireland were nicer than at Downton, and my thought was that there's little challenge there. I thought English gardens were a big deal. Surely these highborn ladies were all about their rose gardens.

I know I'm late to this party, but I am enjoying the show.

[chonies]

I might be over thinking a few things, but as far as the lawn, I read that lawns were 18th and 19th century status symbols because they required more maintenance. Or it just wasn't considered in set design.

I don't know if it's unpopular or not, but the Mary/Edith dynamic didn't bother me a whit because it felt natural. Some families are just like that, and since they were two grown-ass women contained in a household with very different personalities, I thought it explained itself fairly naturally. I really liked Edith, but either the character or Laura Carmichael's portrayal of her made her such an antithesis to Mary that any explanation would have been superfluous. I love my sister, but we can't be together more than a day or so before we start bickering, for no real reason other than our personality differences. And I thought Edith often made poor, self-inflicted-wound choices.

[Mugsy]

Well, Downton had a huge lawn, as does the real castle playing the role. I just expected more hedges and gardens, especially as people drive up, but it's just a vast expanse of grass and then gravel lane right up against the house. Kinda bland.

As for Mary and Edith, I totally get that sister's can be different; believe me, I have three sisters and one is a tea party redneck racist while another is a bleeding heart NDP socialist. But Mary and their mother are so passive-aggressively mean to Edith for no reason. They exchange looks of knowing condescension when she says something remotely beyond their ken.