My Downton Abbey Goodbye
Spoiler Alert*******
Last night I was ready for the finale of Downton Abbey along with millions of other American fans. I had my teapot ready. Out of the freezer came the leftover Christmas Plum Pudding and Christmas cookies. I thought the traditional British Christmas pudding would be perfect for the last Christmas special. Besides the story line, fabulous costumes, and architecture I loved the show for it's historical view into a time not so long ago, yet very different from now. Practices that seemed strange to us were revealed to have explanations that made sense at the time. Women had such few choices and the way the inheritance rules were discriminatory, finding a good match was their only option. The competition between sisters was probably brutal in most aristocratic families.
Since they had lives of leisure and servants dressing and drawing their baths, cooks making their meals, nannies raising their children, and agents looking after their estate, what was keeping them from flying off the handle and going completely bonkers? Those rigid ritualistic rules of course. Ever wonder why they had such rules at the dining table? The manners of how they stood, sat, spoke, and ate with one another ruled every moment. The gloves on the lap at dinner. Talking to one person on one side of you then turning to the other at the cue of the hostess to give everyone a fair amount of chat time. Zillions of spoons for all kinds of special foods. Dinner parties were very important for the reputation of Edwardian families. Chefs could earn up to ten times that of the butler. However, women were merely cooks. They referred to Mrs. Patmore as a cook rather than chef. I somehow doubt that she earned more than Carson.
Am I sad that it has ended? Yes, but not quite as distraught as some. While I thoroughly enjoyed the last season, I admit I am a bit disappointed in the story line of Mary. Firstly, she completely lost her mind and gave in to everyone's urging to marry the race car driver, what's his name, -oh Henry. Yes, she barely knows the guy, and I wonder if she can remember his name as well. Mary of season 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 would not have been spam-for-brains and put herself in a post traumatic stress hell living with a race car driver. Granted, although he decided it wasn't fun to race anymore with his buddy gone, she had no indication he would stop before she married him. Secondly, Julian Fellowes allowed her to sink to an all time low when she outed Edith's illegitimate daughter and ruined her engagement to yet another love. This was more evil than she had ever done before. So now as the dark lordess of the manor, what happens next? Granny says one word, and she does an about face and fixes the whole thing. After a lifetime of Edith bashing, now we have compassion and want to change. Same with Barrow, who was the evil trouble maker for 5 seasons. His nature turned around after his suicide attempt. While I am happy for both complex characters (both were not all evil), and glad they had happy endings, I feel their endings were unrealistic for the time period and the story line, and the show had been realistic dealing with those characters up until this last episode.
Carson and the Countess seem to have sadder endings that people don't reflect on in all the hoopla. Both are facing the health troubles of old age and forced to step aside, halting their lives as they had lived them for so long. I find it very sad for them. Now that is real, and Julian Fellowes did not mess with that. At least he gave them the dignity of keeping their stories real, and did not throw frosting all over it in an attempt to sugar coat it.
I am grateful to have been able to enjoy this wonderful series and look forward to seeing them all over again. Come Sunday I will bring out the teapot, pop in a DVD, and start with episode 1, season 1, and enjoy it all over again.
Last night I was ready for the finale of Downton Abbey along with millions of other American fans. I had my teapot ready. Out of the freezer came the leftover Christmas Plum Pudding and Christmas cookies. I thought the traditional British Christmas pudding would be perfect for the last Christmas special. Besides the story line, fabulous costumes, and architecture I loved the show for it's historical view into a time not so long ago, yet very different from now. Practices that seemed strange to us were revealed to have explanations that made sense at the time. Women had such few choices and the way the inheritance rules were discriminatory, finding a good match was their only option. The competition between sisters was probably brutal in most aristocratic families.
Since they had lives of leisure and servants dressing and drawing their baths, cooks making their meals, nannies raising their children, and agents looking after their estate, what was keeping them from flying off the handle and going completely bonkers? Those rigid ritualistic rules of course. Ever wonder why they had such rules at the dining table? The manners of how they stood, sat, spoke, and ate with one another ruled every moment. The gloves on the lap at dinner. Talking to one person on one side of you then turning to the other at the cue of the hostess to give everyone a fair amount of chat time. Zillions of spoons for all kinds of special foods. Dinner parties were very important for the reputation of Edwardian families. Chefs could earn up to ten times that of the butler. However, women were merely cooks. They referred to Mrs. Patmore as a cook rather than chef. I somehow doubt that she earned more than Carson.
Am I sad that it has ended? Yes, but not quite as distraught as some. While I thoroughly enjoyed the last season, I admit I am a bit disappointed in the story line of Mary. Firstly, she completely lost her mind and gave in to everyone's urging to marry the race car driver, what's his name, -oh Henry. Yes, she barely knows the guy, and I wonder if she can remember his name as well. Mary of season 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 would not have been spam-for-brains and put herself in a post traumatic stress hell living with a race car driver. Granted, although he decided it wasn't fun to race anymore with his buddy gone, she had no indication he would stop before she married him. Secondly, Julian Fellowes allowed her to sink to an all time low when she outed Edith's illegitimate daughter and ruined her engagement to yet another love. This was more evil than she had ever done before. So now as the dark lordess of the manor, what happens next? Granny says one word, and she does an about face and fixes the whole thing. After a lifetime of Edith bashing, now we have compassion and want to change. Same with Barrow, who was the evil trouble maker for 5 seasons. His nature turned around after his suicide attempt. While I am happy for both complex characters (both were not all evil), and glad they had happy endings, I feel their endings were unrealistic for the time period and the story line, and the show had been realistic dealing with those characters up until this last episode.
Carson and the Countess seem to have sadder endings that people don't reflect on in all the hoopla. Both are facing the health troubles of old age and forced to step aside, halting their lives as they had lived them for so long. I find it very sad for them. Now that is real, and Julian Fellowes did not mess with that. At least he gave them the dignity of keeping their stories real, and did not throw frosting all over it in an attempt to sugar coat it.
I am grateful to have been able to enjoy this wonderful series and look forward to seeing them all over again. Come Sunday I will bring out the teapot, pop in a DVD, and start with episode 1, season 1, and enjoy it all over again.
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| Me dressed for a Downton Abbey Tea Party. |
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