Downton Abbey Christmas Special
Ok, so I finally had chance to watch it last night and I was definitely not happy with the ending - but I’ll come to that later.
Firstly, I just want to say that as a whole, I quite liked the Christmas special. It was nowhere near as perfect as the last, and I wasn’t too keen on setting it in summer, but for the most part, it was good.
So here are my ( Read more... )
Firstly, I just want to say that as a whole, I quite liked the Christmas special. It was nowhere near as perfect as the last, and I wasn’t too keen on setting it in summer, but for the most part, it was good.
So here are my ( Read more... )
I'm not upset with Dan at all--he seems like a highly intelligent actor who had grown stifled by Downton's increasingly pedestrian writing (even though he downplayed that article stating he pulled out his Kindle to read between takes because he was bored, I believe it was true). Especially when he sees his peers like Eddie Redmayne, Dominic Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, et al, nabbing meaty roles in Hollywood productions and shows like Sherlock and he's locked into a show whose critical acclaim dries up with every episode. Downton Abbey may still be tops in America, but in acting-world, your stock starts to take a beating if your latest project is losing its prestige. I'm not even upset with Julian Fellowes--he happened to luck out majorly with Downton, yet at the same time, ended up biting off more than he could chew.
Ultimately, despite the destruction of M/M and S/B, there are plenty of characters who still have stories to continue, and I foresee Michelle Dockery tearing up the screen Bette Davis style as the newly-widowed Mary Crawley!
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And I agree, I do think Fellowes bit off more than he could chew - it was just too popular and I think the pressure was very high. I also think ITV changing their mind so often with episode length/number etc didn't help.
But I also think that, whilst there are stories still to tell, the main core stories have gone now. I think it will be difficult to get another series arc type story now. And mini episodic stories are not going to sustain the show for long.
It also needs another good love story, because more than anything, I think that's what gets people hooked!
Maybe Fellowes will pull off series 4 - I hope he does, but we'll have to wait and see.
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I think Fellowes was also overwhelmed by the fact that he had written the show out of his comfort zone and topic of interest. Downton probably would have been easier to continue had it remained in the pre-WWI era for a little longer.
Oh yes, definitely! The emphasis on the heir/entail/Mary&Matthew (and the house itself) is Downton's strength and its weakness in that it is a compelling underpinning for the entire overall arc, yet it acted as a bottleneck for any potential plot that could not braid itself back into the core of the show. Hence dropped storylines like Mrs. Hughes' cancer scare, or the neutering of Branson, or even the sudden appearance of fake Patrick as season two began to wind down.
I second the call for a love story, but the potential for that is another place where Fellowes has written himself into a corner: he will either have to bring existing characters together (who've had no interest in one another) or bring new characters into the mix--and I've seen many viewers complain about the lack of attention to existing characters. So yes, we'll just have to wait and see, but it doesn't bode well for the tenor of the audience and critical reaction that most of us are just resigned and hopeful instead of cheering with glee. :/
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I really do think that the show would have been best ended after the series 3 Christmas special.
it doesn't bode well for the tenor of the audience and critical reaction that most of us are just resigned and hopeful instead of cheering with glee.
Perfectly put! Couldn't agree more!
Sigh - Downton Abbey could have gone out on a glorious high, but nope, the powers that be decided otherwised!
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