Downton Abbey: In Preparation for Season Two
Weren’t we all (and by “we,” I mean PBS-ignoring plebeians) taken aback byDownton Abbey’s dominance at the Emmys? As a general ignorer of miniseries, I assumed that Mildred Pierce would sweep it all. Doesn’t HBO produce star-studded limited-run content for the sole purpose of acquiring statuettes to brag about?
I watched the first series of DA in two days, and loved it. The house! The detail! The Brits! I was genuinely thrilled when Gwen got a job as a secretary, and honestly a bit surprised at the way I came around to love Mary and hate Edith. Aren’t we supposed to root for the homely ones? I guess we aren’t usually supposed to pull for the nobility, either. In retrospect, the show has its flaws: in episode six, several characters pointedly mention that a year has passed, even though there’s been no change of season or any other marker of time, and such sloppiness in an otherwise taut production is obvious. I have no idea how certain servants, after countless varied and very obvious schemes, are still in the Crawleys’ employ, and speaking of the Crawleys, aren’t they a bit saintly with their staff? Lord Grantham’s gentle benevolence makes me nostalgic for a time that I doubt every truly existed: such manipulation is skillful, if a bit blind. The show is not subtle, but it doesn’t try to be. Subtlety has no place in an estate as magnificent as Downton.
Series one ends abruptly with the start of World War One, leaving several storylines in the lurch. I may have squealed at the final cut to black. Series two - and a Christmas special - have already premiered in Britain, and I could obtain them easily enough - screeners are floating around, and of course I could get it off iTunes or… elsewhere - but I’ve decided to wait until it premieres on PBS in January and take it in a week at a time (TV tantra, if you will). Despite its BBC pedigree, Downton Abbey is a pleasure: the Valhrona chocolate bar to Revenge orThe Good Wife’s Snickers - a fancy indulgence, to be sure, but perhaps better enjoyed in small bites.
