Auld Lang Syne

[shanghaiedinla]

“I’m not shocked … just stunned, and desperately sad.”

[Downton Abbey S3/CS 2012 Spoilers Ahead]

These were the words of Downton Abbey’s Mary Crawley in S2 to Matthew’s erstwhile fiancée, Lavinia, when they learned that Matthew’s war injury would prevent him from fathering children or, as Matthew himself so delicately put it, being “properly married.” The CS 2012, an episode that

Comments

[modernities]

Hi! I was actually linked to your post on Twitter

[shanghaiedinla]

Thanks for stopping by. You've made some interesting points:

I already see in the show how Fellowes kind of paved the way for s4

I agree, but I think it's because his hand was forced and I do believe he left open the door for DS to return (and cut the ending) until the very last moment, which probably explains the inelegance of the final sequence (as you note). But your point that Downton has already changed is well taken. In a way, though, it underscores my belief that the shift is major, not minor. To me this episode particularly, and even S3 in general, strikes a very different chord than any episode in either of the previous series. Even with the intensity and sadness of the war, there was humor, there was optimism. I saw almost none of that in S3. ... For example, in 2x05, arguably one of the darker episodes prior to this season, Matthew is injured and Mary knows it, she feels it. And somehow because of the depth of that connection or energy or whatever you want to call it, we all felt like everything was going to be ok. By

[kavan30013]

This is a beautiful, thoughtful post that expresses so much of what I feel about the CS and the future of Downton

[shanghaiedinla]

Hi, thanks for your comment. I empathize with your frustration. To touch on a couple of things you mentioned:

I'm beginning to feel perhaps he saw the handwriting on the wall... That JF was running out of ideas, that DA was running out of steam.You know early on I was sympathetic to this idea, when we all thought he was still in negotiations and before we realized he had already filmed his death scene. But since he initially told JF he was leaving before S3 was even filmed (and before the last half was written, I believe), I'm not sure this was really a factor after all. (And I remember early comments from him that seemed to indicate he was happier with the writing for S3 than S2

[eolivet]

Such good thoughts, as always. LJ, of course, froze as I was responding. Sigh...

It does not mean that because the show was more successful than any of them could possibly imagine, he can just pretend that his initial three-year commitment is the end of the story and he is off the hook.

That's SUCH a good point, and actually, isn't the reverse generally true? That the more successful a project is, the more its actors clamor to stay (for more money, obviously -- but still)? I'm struggling to remember any U.S. actor signing a short-term contract for a wildly successful series, fulfills the contract and says "Oh well, that was fun -- onto bigger and better things!"

I think of the UK actors who are legitimate "movie stars:" Ben Whishaw, Benedict Cumberbatch, etc. All of them fiercely loyal to their respective TV shows -- in the case of Whishaw, it's not even a highly-rated show! That's something DS never seemed to understand. Or gratitude. Nobody else complained about the long months of work -- not even JBF. So...why is DS different?

[shanghaiedinla]

Hi there!

All of them fiercely loyal to their respective TV shows -- in the case of Whishaw, it's not even a highly-rated show!

Yeah, and Whishaw is a much bigger name than DS. It will be some time (if ever) before DS is cast as Keats in a feature film or stars alongside Daniel Craig in a Bond flick (another reason his being "considered" to play Bond himself is a real stretch).

perhaps the original S3 was an inheritance battle, maybe followed by inheritance dispute (Polbrook resurfacing?) and an infertility plot in the middle of it

Those are great ideas ... are you a writer or something? ;-)

Seriously, I would LOVE to sit down with JF and ask what he really had in mind before it all blew up in his face.

I mean, there's "getting our just desserts" and then there's "Probably won't find you until rigor mortis sets in." But I guess that's why they had the lorry driver stop and discover him pinned under the car. We can assume he went for help (and may have even recognized him; Matthew had to have been between the village and the

[eolivet]

(another reason his being "considered" to play Bond himself is a real stretch). Exactly. Some comment I saw about DS summed it up really well for me: he's not "enough" of anything that allows a UK actor to make it big in the U.S.: He's not beautiful enough, he's not ugly enough, he's not interesting enough, he's not boring enough. He's kind of...average-looking, by the standards of British men in Hollywood. I also think it hurts him tremendously that he looks older than he is. Seriously, he looks 35, but can't pass for either 40 or 25. I feel like I've said this before, so apologies for repeating myself, but it bears repeating, and is another reason why this exit has been so difficult for so many to wrap their heads around: what exactly IS he leaving for? Heigl and even Caruso were being seriously courted by Hollywood for feature films (and Caruso DID actually do one where he was the star). By all reports, he is not. It's why the other reason has gained such traction, IMO -- because...seriously why else would he leave? As someone else

[shanghaiedinla]

I want the DA Tell-All book in 10 years. You know it's coming. ;)

Seriously. Reserve my copy while you're at it. :-)

I'm saying in some other universe, she has similar Hollywood ambitions And I think she does. In fact, she already has more of a Hollywood career than DS. She was in a *real* movie last year (albeit a bit part) and another well received miniseries. She's filming "Non-Stop" with Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore and is second billed (uh, *really* second billed, in a cast of recognizable names, not just because she's Doofus Tiddlywink's buddy in a cast of virtual nobodies). The difference is she cares about Downton and her character and enjoys playing Mary. And she should -- it's a great role

[rms1977]

Like most fans of Downton Abbey, I was extremely disappointed with the Christmas episode. I knew it was unlikely Dan Stevens would return for a fourth season, but I was still very unhappy and even angry with the ending. For the better part of three seasons, Downton Abbey had been a show about optimism and happiness, but the ending to the Christmas finale was neither. It was abrupt, arbitrary, and, frankly, lazy. It was not in keeping with the Downton Abbey fans around the world had come to enjoy

[shanghaiedinla]

I really agree with almost all of this, except if DS firmly said "no" to ever coming back, I don't think it would have been workable to NEVER see Matthew onscreen. At minimum, I think we'd need to see him at least a couple of episodes per season (except I think he could have been absent for S4 only and come back at the CS). With his outright refusal to take a small recurring role, it would have been too much of a gamble that he would never come back and eventually JF would have had to write him off, probably having him die abroad somehow. Though I have to admit, as depressing as that sounds, I would prefer it to seeing Matthew's bloody head and vacant stare at the end of Christmas night. At least it would have bought M/M more time (or rather, bought us more time with them to imagine and dream of their happy ending).

As for why he left, we'll never know unless they do a tell-all book down the road. I'm sure you've heard some of the speculation about the real reason he left. It's taken off I think because nothing else appears to make

[rms1977]

A fourth season without Dan Stevens would have been a gamble, but I think it could have worked. Had Matthew been assigned a foreign posting in India, Hong Kong, or even Singapore, he could have been part of each show merely through letters to Mary and one sided phone calls with Mary. It wouldn't have been optimal, but, given the contraints on travel during that period of time, it would have been plausible. If nothing else, it would have preserved the option for Matthew to return at the end of the series, but that's water under the bridge now

[shanghaiedinla]

I'm not aware of some of the speculation about the real reason Dan Stevens may have decided to leave, but I'd love to hear it.

If you like, you can send me a PM and I'll explain what I've come to refer to as the "January Theory." TBF, I'm far from the first person who's come up with speculation along these lines. To give credit where credit is due, eolivet first made me aware of what was already percolating in certain corners of tumblr. And actually her take on it -- and mine which is similar -- is not as ...errh ... titillating as some of the earlier variations. Nevertheless it's the only explanation in our view that makes any sense.

[sunnygirly21]

Thanks to eolivet for pointing your post out to me. I bought tickets for The Heiress back in October thinking that there was no way DS could disappoint me but here I am, too, trying to somehow pull myself together and try to enjoy the show given the amount of money I've spent on it. I truly, truly hope he one day gets to learn how he has messed it up. And given that I was also one of those people watching DA for the happy, joyful show it was, not one with two deaths of two young characters (a car crash at the time, really?), I am not sure I can bring myself to continue watching it. Perhaps if only to see MD get an Emmy for playing a grieving Mary which would be the best revenge imo :D

I so wish to somehow let DS know, when I am in NY, of how we feel (in a civil way) but I am not sure he would get the message from what it seems. And it makes me just so unbelievably sad :(

[shanghaiedinla]

Thanks for commenting.

I bought tickets for The Heiress back in October thinking that there was no way DS could disappoint me

A friend and I were contemplating either a Thanksgiving weekend or New Year's trip to do the same thing. Fortunately, by the time it came around to making the decision to go, DS had poisoned the well enough that I was no longer certain of Matthew's fate and didn't want to support the play if there was any chance DS would turn out to be as duplicitous as we now know he is.

Perhaps if only to see MD get an Emmy for playing a grieving Mary which would be the best revenge

And I feel this is a prevailing sentiment now, as well as "good, Mary can move on to someone better." And I understand it, but the whole thing just makes me terribly sad because I feel like many soured fans/shippers are lashing out at Matthew when they're really angry at the actor who played him. As a Mary lover, I don't want to see her pain and misery all over again, only a thousand times worse than it was during the war when at least