Crossing the Rubicon for Your Downton Fix

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Downton Abbey, Downton Abbey fans, Downton Abbey predicitions for season three, Downton withdrawals, Maggie Smith, period dramas

If you’re a fan of the ITV series Downton Abbey, you’re probably going through withdrawals and wondering what you’re going to watch on Sunday nights now that Lord Grantham and his clan have taken a hiatus.

Season Two ended with a bang up two-hour episode but left several story lines flapping in the wind. If you haven’t watched Season Two yet, you might want to jump down to the row of asterisks because this portion of my post contains spoilers.

At the end of the season finale, we finally get a glimpse of what we’ve all been waiting for. Matthew on bended knee. I loved this scene. Romantic? Yes! But keeping in character, neither Mary or Matthew morphed into slobbery love-struck idiots. I only had one issue with this scene. Why didn’t Matthew give Mary his coat? Good God, man, it’s snowing out and your woman is wearing a thin silk gown! We know she loves you, but she needs some serious BTUs because the warm fuzzies and that basking-in-the-glow-of-your-presence kind of stuff only warms the cockles of her heart. I’m wondering if Season Three will begin with Mary stricken with pneumonia and Matthew at her bedside. And Edith lurking in the shadows of the room waiting for opportunity to give her the nod. 

photo: pbs.org

The finale also spotlighted the plight of Mr. Bates, whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Did Mr. Bates really kill his wife Vera? I don’t think Bates would have married Anna if he had. My money’s on Sir Richard Carlisle. He and Vera are cut from the same cloth.

Will Patrick, the burn victim who claims he’s the heir to Downton, return in Season Three? What about the maid Ethel and baby Charlie? Does Jane, the maid who engaged in lip-lock with Lord Grantham, really have a son? Or is she in cahoots with vile Sir Richard? Now that Mary has spurned Sir Richard will he rain scandal upon the Crawleys?

Will Thomas, the scheming socio-pathic footman, be up to his old tricks again now that he’s been elevated to Lord Grantham’s valet? (I was really hoping Isis would take a chunk out of Thomas in the finale.) Can Lady Cora’s maid O’Brien continue down the path of atonement? Lady Sybil in her father’s words “Has crossed the Rubicon” by marrying Branson in Dublin. Will Branson’s political leanings create more problems for the family? 

I laughed out loud at Dowager Countess Violet’s zingers last Sunday. “Do you promise?” Classic Violet. Now armed with a nut cracker, I can’t wait to see her in Season Three. 

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Filming for Season Three began on February 12, 2012 but will not air in the U.S. until early 2013. Yikes! Here are some other ways to satisfy your addiction to Downton Abbey.

A book written by Jessica Fellowes, niece of Downton screenwriter Julian Fellowes. The World of Downton Abbey  

Need some background music while you scrub the hearth or dress for dinner? Downton Abbey soundtrack  

Want to indulge in a little role playing of the Dowager Countess? Dear Violet comes with an assortment of emotions familiar to all Downton fans. Downton Abbey Paper Dolls  

The Countess Dowager’s zingers.  The Best Maggie Moments    

Ever wonder what the Crawley family ate while engaging in furtive glances and sparkling dinner conversation? Dining at Downton               

Simply parched for more Downton? Mr Carson will serve pre-dinner cocktails in the parlor. Downton Cocktails 

A peek behind the scenes at Downton Abbey. Filming at Highclere Castle

Need a GPS to navigate your way through the grand house? An Upstairs Tour of Downton Abbey and A Downstairs Tour of Downton Abbey

Are you the only Downton fan in your household? Is your cat a fan as well? Enjoy this hilarious feline spoof on Downton Abbey. Downton Tabby

What are your thoughts now that Season Two has ended? Do you have any predictions about Season Three? Let’s discuss and I’ll ring for tea.

Sunday Nights at Downton Abbey

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costume dramas, Downton Abbey, Elizabeth Bennet, favorite period dramas, ITV, Jane Austen, Julian Fellowes, Mr. Darcy, period dramas, Pride and Prejudice

Will Lady Mary and Matthew realize they are meant for one another? Or will Matthew marry the mysterious Lavinia? And what about O’Brien, Lady Cora’s scheming maid, and her co-conspirator, Thomas the footman? Will they get the comeuppance they deserve? What is Moseley hiding? Will Sybil forsake her family for Branson?

If you know what I’m talking about, then you must be a fan of the ITV mini-series Downton Abbey that takes place in 1912 during the reign of King George V. 

The search for an heir. Scheming servants. A dead body. Dark secrets and unrequited love. Social order and keeping up appearances. These elements are expertly woven into a mesmerizing story, which profiles the family of the Earl of Grantham and his servants, all residents of the Downton Abbey estate.

I’m a huge fan of period dramas. Wives and Daughters, North and South, The Buccaneers, The Way We Lived Now, The Lost Prince, The Forsyte Saga, The Cazalets…I could go on and on.

From: pbs.org

Afraid I’d be suckered in and lose focus on my writing, I purposely ignored the initial Downton hype and the FB and Twitter posts during the first season. But after I finished my mind-numbing synopsis, I rewarded myself by watching the entire first season in one sitting. 

I haven’t been hooked on a period drama since I watched Colin Firth in the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice on PBS several years ago. As the credits rolled on the episode leading up to Mr. Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, I bolted downstairs to the garage and hopped in my car. I couldn’t wait another week to find out what happened in the next episode.

Upon arrival at the video store, I scanned the “P” shelf. The woman standing next to me shot me an apologetic look and asked, “Are you looking for this?” She held up the only copy of the next episode.

Rats.

We chatted for a few minutes about the episode that had just aired and exchanged recommendations on period dramas. The next day, I learned that my best friend had also raced to the video store in hopes of retrieving the same episode. She came up empty too. To satisfy her need to know what happened next, she found a copy of P&P in husband’s library and stayed up all night reading.

I think Jane Austen would find our antics highly amusing.

Unfortunately with Downton Abbey, I can’t read ahead and find out what’s going to happen next because the series is based on a screenplay. The good news is that Julian Fellowes, the series creator, is penning a third season for ITV. 

Downton Abbey has received tons of media attention. It won a Golden Globe for Best Mini-Series. It’s inspired Downton Abbey viewing parties where rabid fans serve pots of tea and finger sandwiches. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/fashion/downton-abbey-inspires-themed-viewing-parties.html

There’s also a reading list to satisfy your Downton fix.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/business/media/mad-for-downton-publishers-have-a-reading-list.html

If you’re wondering what all the hype is about, you can watch the first season on the PBS site or on Netflix. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/

Are you a Downton Abbey fan? What are some of your favorite period dramas?