thoughts on downton 2x01
I'm not going to go into this saying I can be unbiased: I love this show. It gives me a lot of feelings and I think it's beautiful and I have a ridiculous amount of affection for many of the characters. That being said, I'm reserving judgment on some of the storylines until they progress a little bit more.
Ethel, the new housemaid: After discussing it with myself, I've decided that I like her. I don't know whether or not we're meant to (my first inclination is that we're not, but I hope I'm wrong) but I do. I've been reading some criticism of the show generally and Julian Fellowes specifically and the consensus seems to be that he has too much sympathy for the social stratification of Edwardian England, which seems to be a perfectly valid claim to make. There's more than a bit of reverence for the aristocracy. The worst thing Ethel's done so far is: want the hell out of Downton, and given O'Brien a bit of a smack (which she certainly can't be faulted for). The most upsetting thing for me was the scene where O'Brien sends Ethel into the drawing room. I was upset with everyone upstairs for laughing at her (especially Sybil) and I was upset with everyone downstairs for delighting in her embarrassment. I hope that Fellowes takes the story in a constructive place, that he uses it to illuminate the ways in which the social stratification was accepted by the serving class to their own detriment and the ways they overcame it. I hope that he doesn't use it as a way to say, "This is what happens when you get above yourself. This is what happens when you dream too big."
Sybil & Branson: I don't care about Sybil and Branson. I think Branson came off kind of like a dick in this episode. Bring back Gwen. I'll be in the corner shipping Sybil/Daisy until she gets back.
Bates & Anna: Man, Bates, you continue to be noble to a fault. And I do mean a fault. I think you're making a bad choice here, but I'm sure it'll right itself in the end. I liked the scene between Bates and Lord Grantham (to a point) because the viewer knew more than Robert: Bates wasn't doing it for Robert (despite what Carson tells Robert later). He was doing it for Anna. I know that Robert thinks they've "successfully bridged the great divide" (which, see above for my
thoughts on the social structure of the house, but I hope the lower class is allowed to bring itself up without the outstretched hand of someone better positioned), but I don't think Bates did it for the Crawleys at all. (It probably factored in, to be fair.) He did it for Anna. And I like that. I want to see him be a bit selfish. And man, Anna. Joanne Froggatt, you get it. Her face killed me. When she told him that she was willing to live in sin with him, she didn't care, she just didn't want him to leave, man. HEARTACHE. Poor Anna. I am curious about what these two have been up to for the past 2 years though. Clearly he's been trying to get a divorce but hasn't been able to find his wife or get her to agree, but what about the rest of the staff? Bates clearly told Robert his plans, but what about everyone else? Do they know Bates and Anna have a thing? What do they think? I WANT TO KNOW.
Mary: Oh, jeeze. Lady Mary Crawley, I love you so dearly. I've been a Mary fan since the start and I know she's got her detractors, but I really fail to understand what you could possibly hate about Mary. I've tried asking and no one will give me an answer because I honestly want to know. I think that the conversation between Mrs. Hughes and Carson was the perfect encapsulation of everyone's problem with Mary: Mrs. Hughes prefers Lavinia because she's "gentle" where Mary is "heartless"; Carson gets to see behind the curtain with Mary and knows she's not at all heartless, that it's all just a matter of what she lets you see. And that's so perfectly Mary. She doesn't ask for anyone's sympathy or pity. She doesn't want it. (It was, however, really nice to see everybody in Mary's corner when Cousin Isobel was telling them all that Matthew would be home and Mary would have to see him with this fiancee. Everyone looked so concerned and worried for Mary (which she would hate, but it's nice that they realize she's entirely heartbroken and are trying to watch out for her).)
In preparing for the second series, I rewatched the first one and it is literally all about Mary and her family pushing her into a marriage she doesn't want. She feels relief at Patrick's death (I construe it as relief, and seeing Mary "not as sad as she should be" is telling enough, I think); then she's immediately pushed toward Matthew. Everyone's in Matthew's corner--why should he have to marry this lady he doesn't even know when she's not nice to him and she doesn't like him? What about Mary? Why should Mary's reaction be any different? Why should she welcome the opportunity to marry a man she doesn't know just to make her family happy? Everyone spends the season pushing wealthy man at her while she repeatedly says, "I WILL DO WHAT I WANT." Evelyn Napier says, "I think marriage should be based on love, at least at the start," and no one hates him. Edith says she's more than willing to marry Patrick, or Anthony Strallen, and seems like at the most critical a gold digger and at the least critical then entirely self-interested. Mary has the audacity to not do as she's told. I don't think that makes her less worthy of the audience's affection--I know it makes her more worthy of mine.
Relatedly, I think the bond between Sybil and Mary is the most interesting female relationship in the series (though not one we get to see much of). The both of them are pretty much determined to do as they like and they're clearly fond of each other, but Sybil's rebellion comes in much more productive fashion than Mary's. Edith tells us why though: Edith and Sybil don't matter. Mary's the oldest, the one who will or will not inherit, the one best placed to make a beneficial match. Mary's got her whole family staring at her, wanting something from her. No wonder she fails and falters when she does. I think it's so telling and perfect that the only people Mary will let her guard down around are Carson and Anna, people who have to love her, or have to at least let her by herself without commenting on it. She's like that with Matthew too, to an extent (somewhat last season, a bit more (and a bit less) this season).
Speaking of Matthew, man. He really, really thinks he's not coming home, doesn't he? When he was saying goodbye at the train station, it was just all so defeated and resigned and awful and Mary's barely holding it together and. These two. They give me all the feelings. ALL THE FEELINGS. I love seeing them have this adult relationship after they were particularly catty and snide to each other when they first met. I like that Mary asks what it's like at the front. I wonder if Lavinia asks, if she feels comfortable enough to, if she wants to know. I don't dislike Lavinia (it makes sense that Matthew would try to take comfort in someone else when everything with Mary seemed so hopeless) but I don't particularly want her to marry Matthew either.
All in all, this episode didn't disappoint me in the slightest. I was worried I'd set the bar too high, but I hadn't. I'm very much looking forward to next week. I'm very much looking forward to every Sunday from now until the end of October. BRING IT, FIVE-TIME EMMY WINNING MINISERIES.
Ethel, the new housemaid: After discussing it with myself, I've decided that I like her. I don't know whether or not we're meant to (my first inclination is that we're not, but I hope I'm wrong) but I do. I've been reading some criticism of the show generally and Julian Fellowes specifically and the consensus seems to be that he has too much sympathy for the social stratification of Edwardian England, which seems to be a perfectly valid claim to make. There's more than a bit of reverence for the aristocracy. The worst thing Ethel's done so far is: want the hell out of Downton, and given O'Brien a bit of a smack (which she certainly can't be faulted for). The most upsetting thing for me was the scene where O'Brien sends Ethel into the drawing room. I was upset with everyone upstairs for laughing at her (especially Sybil) and I was upset with everyone downstairs for delighting in her embarrassment. I hope that Fellowes takes the story in a constructive place, that he uses it to illuminate the ways in which the social stratification was accepted by the serving class to their own detriment and the ways they overcame it. I hope that he doesn't use it as a way to say, "This is what happens when you get above yourself. This is what happens when you dream too big."
Sybil & Branson: I don't care about Sybil and Branson. I think Branson came off kind of like a dick in this episode. Bring back Gwen. I'll be in the corner shipping Sybil/Daisy until she gets back.
Bates & Anna: Man, Bates, you continue to be noble to a fault. And I do mean a fault. I think you're making a bad choice here, but I'm sure it'll right itself in the end. I liked the scene between Bates and Lord Grantham (to a point) because the viewer knew more than Robert: Bates wasn't doing it for Robert (despite what Carson tells Robert later). He was doing it for Anna. I know that Robert thinks they've "successfully bridged the great divide" (which, see above for my
thoughts on the social structure of the house, but I hope the lower class is allowed to bring itself up without the outstretched hand of someone better positioned), but I don't think Bates did it for the Crawleys at all. (It probably factored in, to be fair.) He did it for Anna. And I like that. I want to see him be a bit selfish. And man, Anna. Joanne Froggatt, you get it. Her face killed me. When she told him that she was willing to live in sin with him, she didn't care, she just didn't want him to leave, man. HEARTACHE. Poor Anna. I am curious about what these two have been up to for the past 2 years though. Clearly he's been trying to get a divorce but hasn't been able to find his wife or get her to agree, but what about the rest of the staff? Bates clearly told Robert his plans, but what about everyone else? Do they know Bates and Anna have a thing? What do they think? I WANT TO KNOW.
Mary: Oh, jeeze. Lady Mary Crawley, I love you so dearly. I've been a Mary fan since the start and I know she's got her detractors, but I really fail to understand what you could possibly hate about Mary. I've tried asking and no one will give me an answer because I honestly want to know. I think that the conversation between Mrs. Hughes and Carson was the perfect encapsulation of everyone's problem with Mary: Mrs. Hughes prefers Lavinia because she's "gentle" where Mary is "heartless"; Carson gets to see behind the curtain with Mary and knows she's not at all heartless, that it's all just a matter of what she lets you see. And that's so perfectly Mary. She doesn't ask for anyone's sympathy or pity. She doesn't want it. (It was, however, really nice to see everybody in Mary's corner when Cousin Isobel was telling them all that Matthew would be home and Mary would have to see him with this fiancee. Everyone looked so concerned and worried for Mary (which she would hate, but it's nice that they realize she's entirely heartbroken and are trying to watch out for her).)
In preparing for the second series, I rewatched the first one and it is literally all about Mary and her family pushing her into a marriage she doesn't want. She feels relief at Patrick's death (I construe it as relief, and seeing Mary "not as sad as she should be" is telling enough, I think); then she's immediately pushed toward Matthew. Everyone's in Matthew's corner--why should he have to marry this lady he doesn't even know when she's not nice to him and she doesn't like him? What about Mary? Why should Mary's reaction be any different? Why should she welcome the opportunity to marry a man she doesn't know just to make her family happy? Everyone spends the season pushing wealthy man at her while she repeatedly says, "I WILL DO WHAT I WANT." Evelyn Napier says, "I think marriage should be based on love, at least at the start," and no one hates him. Edith says she's more than willing to marry Patrick, or Anthony Strallen, and seems like at the most critical a gold digger and at the least critical then entirely self-interested. Mary has the audacity to not do as she's told. I don't think that makes her less worthy of the audience's affection--I know it makes her more worthy of mine.
Relatedly, I think the bond between Sybil and Mary is the most interesting female relationship in the series (though not one we get to see much of). The both of them are pretty much determined to do as they like and they're clearly fond of each other, but Sybil's rebellion comes in much more productive fashion than Mary's. Edith tells us why though: Edith and Sybil don't matter. Mary's the oldest, the one who will or will not inherit, the one best placed to make a beneficial match. Mary's got her whole family staring at her, wanting something from her. No wonder she fails and falters when she does. I think it's so telling and perfect that the only people Mary will let her guard down around are Carson and Anna, people who have to love her, or have to at least let her by herself without commenting on it. She's like that with Matthew too, to an extent (somewhat last season, a bit more (and a bit less) this season).
Speaking of Matthew, man. He really, really thinks he's not coming home, doesn't he? When he was saying goodbye at the train station, it was just all so defeated and resigned and awful and Mary's barely holding it together and. These two. They give me all the feelings. ALL THE FEELINGS. I love seeing them have this adult relationship after they were particularly catty and snide to each other when they first met. I like that Mary asks what it's like at the front. I wonder if Lavinia asks, if she feels comfortable enough to, if she wants to know. I don't dislike Lavinia (it makes sense that Matthew would try to take comfort in someone else when everything with Mary seemed so hopeless) but I don't particularly want her to marry Matthew either.
All in all, this episode didn't disappoint me in the slightest. I was worried I'd set the bar too high, but I hadn't. I'm very much looking forward to next week. I'm very much looking forward to every Sunday from now until the end of October. BRING IT, FIVE-TIME EMMY WINNING MINISERIES.