Downton Abbey Series Review

Downton Abbey (2010-2015)

Season 1 - 7 episodes (2010)
Season 2 - 8 episodes, 1 special (2011)
Season 3 - 8 episodes, 1 special (2012)
Season 4 - 8 episodes, 1 special (2013)
Season 5 - 8 episodes, 1 special (2014)
Season 6 - 8 episodes, 1 special (2015)
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Created by: Julian Fellowes
Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jessica Brown Findlay, Maggie Smith, Dan Stevens, Penelope Wilton, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Brendan Coyle, Siobhan Finneran, Joanne Froggatt, Thomas Howes, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Lily James, Rose Leslie, Lesley Nicol, Sophie McShera
Rated: TV-PG
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Plot
A chronicle of the lives of the British aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early twentieth century.

Verdict
It's a fun premise and time period, exploring societal rules in the early 1900s through a noble family and their servants that live downstairs. This presents progressive characters, showing how far we've progressed and how backwards some of the views seem. These aristocrats fill their days strolling the grounds and dressing up for dinner, waited on hand and foot as they enjoy living at the top of the hierarchy. Unfortunately this show often creates drama by torturing characters. Almost nothing good happens without something equally tragic following. The first season is great, but the manipulations reach a peak in the fourth season. Each successive season after the first feels more like a soap opera rather than a well-plotted drama. Despite that, the setting helps carry this very far as it assists in covering for the spectacle. The first three seasons are worth watching, but after that it's downhill. I started to tire of the show and recycled plots lines in season five. Season six was annoying, but it's the final season so I kept watching.
Watch It.

Review
I watched this when it first released, and I really enjoyed the first season, but each successive season wasn't as good. It became more of a soap opera with ridiculous plot lines that tortured characters. I quit watching in season four as the show stretched credibility to its limits. With this rewatch my opinion hasn't changed, though the setting does a lot work to conceal the faults. The first season is easily the best.

Season 1:
This begins in 1912 featuring a wealthy family living on an expansive estate with many servants that live in the lower floor. The demarcation line of rich and poor is nearly tangible as we see the fancy rooms the Earl of Grantham Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) and his family occupy when just a flight of stars lower are the servants with their small, barren rooms. The servants labor all day while the family has tea and fancy dinners.

S1E4: Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville play Mary Crawley, Robert Crawley

We're introduced to this world through John Bates (Brendan Coyle), Roberts new valet. He uses a cane and with so many stairs in the house the staff don't think he'll last long. What they don't know is that he knows Robert. Barrow (Robert James-Collier) and O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) quickly establish themselves as the jerks of the serving status, unusually cruel. They have it out for Bates, one more staff member in their way.

The sinking of the Titanic throws the family's future into disarray. Robert and his wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) have three daughters and no heir. Eldest daughter Mary (Michelle Dockery) was going to marry a cousin to secure their social position but he was on the Titanic. The family fortune is tied to the estate and thus a Crawley heir.

The best character, funniest, and most blunt is the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith). She never hesitates to state what's on her mind. With her age and position as the matriarch of the family, she can do just that.

S1E2: Jessica Brown Findlay, Laura Carmichael, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt play 
Sybil Crawley, Edith Crawley, Mary Crawley, Anna Smith

In episode five Bates catches Barrow stealing wine. Barrow preemptively frames Bates for stealing a snuff box. He uses kitchen maid Daisy's (Sophie McShera) infatuation with him to his advantage to convict Bates, but she relents. Barrow and O'brien never miss a chance to make life more difficult for the staff.

Mary and middle daughter Edith (Laura Carmichael) fight over men for no reason. Mary is arrogant, seeking some kind of birthright. Edith is the middle child, likely stuck in both Mary and Sybil's (Jessica Brown Findlay) shadows. She's relegated to the lovelorn woman when she could have been more interesting. She lashes out at Mary due to her unfulfilled desires.

S1E5: Brendan Coyle, Joanne Froggatt play John Bates, Anna Smith

Robert finds another cousin in Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) that could secure the estate. Matthew doesn't like the idea of a forced marriage and Mary doesn't particularly care for him. They grow closer, but this season is the start of their on and off again relationshiop. Mary snubs him, pausing the engagement at the potential of a Crawley heir distressing him and ending their relationship.

This season provides plenty of intrigue both upstairs and downstairs. There's the ill-fated romance of Matthew and Mary, the burgeoning relationship between Bates and Anna (Joanne Froggatt), and the ruthless villains Barrow and O'Brien. Overheard fragments upstairs become rumors downstairs while the Crawley family is unaware of anything happening on the floor below them.

Season 2:
Last season ended with the beginning of World War I. It's 1916 and Matthew is fighting in the war and engaged to marry Lavinia. Mary rejected him last season, but now that she can't have him she's fallen for him.

Mr. Bates' wife shows up and she's a piece of work. I grew tired of yet another instance of Bates refusing to speak on a personal matter as everyone grows upset with him. What he intends as gallantry is a delusional sacrifice that could be avoided. Maybe he's too prideful, or quite possibly this show just likes forced drama. Out of pride he leaves the estate to spare the family scandal.

S2E6: Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Iain Glen, Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Dan Stevens, Penelope Wilton, Jessia Brown Findlay play Violet, Mary, Cora, Sir Richard Carlisle, Robert, Edith, Matthew, Isobel, Sybil 

Barrow sees the writing on the wall and joins the military. He finds a way to get injured to leave the front lines. He ends up as the acting sergeant in charge of soldiers at Downton Abbey which has become a temporary convalescent home. He enjoys his newfound power over the staff. The Dowager Countess doesn't like the transformation of the estate one bit, but Matthew's mother Isobel (Penelope Wilton), a former nurse, champions the idea. She also likes being in charge of the hospital side of the home. The arrangement gives Sybil and Edith something to do, acting as nurses.

Cora retains O'Brien services, comically unaware that no one else likes her. Robert has kept all of O'Brien's mistakes from her. That and the show likes to keep her around. This season includes more forced drama than last season. Matthew is lost during a patrol which worries the family. He's found safe and the family rejoices. Then goes back out and suffers a spinal injury. The show toys with our emotions. When Matthew is found we think he's safe only for the show to pull the rug out from under us. If that wasn't enough Patrick Crawley returns, maybe. There's no way to prove his claims, and Edith is the only one that believes him. It's a plot point that takes care of itself quickly.

S2E4: Rob James-Collier, Siobhan Finneran play Thomas Barrow, Sarah O'Brien

This season designs the story so that we don't like Richard Carlisle (Iain Glen) who has proposed to Mary. The show wants us to ship Mary and Matthew. He's rejected Lavinia due to being paralyzed, but she refuses. Then he's able to walk. His plight is a bit much this season with all these twist and turns. Matthew refuses to reject Lavinia when she remained so devoted, but when she gets sick this show tries to make us welcome her death to pave the way for Matthew and Mary.

Sybil and the family driver Branson (Allen Leech) possess similar progressive views. Soon they start a relationship that Robert doesn't like. He doesn't want his family mixing with the help. He tries to pay Branson off to no avail.

S2E9: Michelle Dockery, Dan Stevens play Mary Crawley, Matthew Crawley

Bates and Anna wed, but that's because Bates may get arrested. While Anna believes he's wrongly convicted,. he's imprisoned. This show can't make any relationship easy.

In the final episode Robert doesn't want Mary to wed Carlisle as he's threatening her to keep the engagement. This paves the way for Matthew.

Season 3:
Matthew and Mary prepare for their wedding, but Robert's bad investment means the estate has lost most of its fortune. This show likes forced drama. How convenient, Matthew coincidentally receives a large, unlikely inheritance that would save Downton. He may be wildly rich and can save his family in law, but he plans to refuse the inheritance out of principle. Mary is excited and then disappointed. She asks her maternal grandmother for help, but she and Cora don't see why her family should bail Downton out again. Cora's wealth is one of the reasons Robert married her.

While the Dowager Countess is always blunt, Cora's mother is her foil. She's American, quick to criticize British tradition.

Downstairs, Barrow is back and disparaging Bates. It's typical though Carson (Jim Carter) reprimands him. Barrow and O'Brien are fighting each other now. They're obnoxious, but that's also why they're still in the show. That culminates in O'Brien getting Barrow fired. No one is more surprised than Bates when he defends Barrow.

Matthew accepts the money after the show twists things to assuage his conscience. Matthew had the choice of honor or saving his wife. He must be honorable, but then he gets to do both. The issue with this show is that it becomes predictable. A big, scary, or tragic plot point looms, but the show finds a way out. Then it springs another tragedy on us. Edith, finally happy and engaged, gets left at the altar.

Branson returns, facing difficult times. Despite the marriage to Sybil he's still regarded as 'the chauffeur.' Matthew is incredibly nice and accepts him, but that's also because Matthew didn't grow up as an aristocrat that had to keep a strict divide between himself and others that are lesser. Then Sybil faces a difficult delivery during the birth of their daughter.

Matthew paid the debts, and now he wants a word in how the estate is run. Robert doesn't like being questioned despite it's his management that put them in this spot. Any intervention by Matthew is a direct criticism, and his pride can't accept that despite how just it is. Matthew wants to change things to make the property sustainable. Robert complains about losing tradition, but with his ideas they'd lose the property.

When the family travels to Scotland in the special, Robert discovers his friend must sell his estate, admitting they failed to modernize. It's a testament to how Matthew was right. Mary is pregnant, and this show can't let a good thing happen without something equally bad or worse.

I like this show, but it's indulgent, reveling in tragedy. While this season does kill off primary cast members, both actors requested to be written out to pursue other opportunities.

Season 4:
It's 1922 and Mary is still reeling over Matthew. I understand why she's upset, but she's become quite bitter. O'Brien leaves the family without even a note for a better job. That seemed likely with how last season ended.

Barrow wants to get rid of the nanny for Branson and Mary's children because she doesn't respect her authority. The nanny ends up getting fired for demeaning Branson's daughter since she's not an aristocrat.

It seems this show only has a couple of plot points. It's either canceled weddings or torturing Anna and Bates. They've faced such hardship, and when they're finally together and happy the show has Anna assaulted. Is that all this show knows how to do, violence under the guise of development? Anna feels she must hide the attack, fearful Bates will kill the man and end up back in prison. I can at least understand all of Anna's feelings in this case as often this has characters not communicating just to drive drama. Anna's experience is very isolating. I don't like how Bates manipulates Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) to find out what happened. While I understand why, he's putting her in a terrible place, especially for a man that aims to be so gallant. While he tells Anna it's over, he tells Mr.s Hughes this isn't over by a long shot.

Gillingham wants to wed Mary after only meeting her a couple of times. Unfortunately, he's already engaged. It's ridiculous. Mary refuses, but I'm not sure Gillingham has spent enough time with her to even be infatuated.

S4E9: Maggie Smith, Paul Giamatti, Hugh Bonneville play 
Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, Harold Levinson, Earl of Grantham Robert Crawley

This season is disappointing as it feels like it's just repeating plot lines. Branson continues to feel like an outsider. He's too fancy for Ireland and too country for Downton. One of the better story lines this season is in episode seven when Isobel cares for Violet, nursing her through sickness. That's quite the devotion for characters that are always fighting, but it belies a friendship that has developed over the years despite disagreements. It might be the most heartwarming evolution in the show.

The valet, Green, that attacked Anna is back at Downton with his lord. What will Anna do, and will Bates figure it out? It's an uncomfortable situation. Not long after, Green ends up dead. Did Bates kill him? I'd guess not as this show is always driving drama and wild speculation as is typical. That's this show's wheelhouse, like Mary's suitors and Edith's failed relationships.

Season 5:
This opens in 1924. Edith struggles with giving up her child. She's not hiding the deception well. Anyone could figure out why she's interested in this child, and it was silly to place the child in a nearby home. I'd guess that was done to ensure future drama. Edith spends a lot of time with the 'orphan' which raises questions. I don't think anyone missed where that would go.

Barrow is on thin ice for extorting Cora's maid Baxter. He was using her to gain information on others. He's given a stern warning, but then he's forgiven when he saves Edith from a fire. This show pivots so quickly. Later in the season he's duped, much like he was in season two. It's a rare occasion to feel sorry for him.

Mary has a fling with Gillingham, but she's then upset that it has consequences and implied perceptions. Robert and Cora fight in episode six. He's mad another man is interested and that the man points out his neglect. His pride has been hurt so he avoids Cora.

S5E9: Michelle Dockery, Allen Leech, Laura Carmichael, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville play
Mary, Tom Branson, Edith, Cora Robert

Also in episode six Bates is accused of murder again. It piles on, with Bates thinking Anna doubts him. I feel like I've seen this play out before. There's less happening this season, at least it's certainly not as interesting. With each season, the faults become more apparent. So many story lines exist just to create drama and do so quickly. This show revels in Bates being accused of murder, engagements, and weddings.

We do get a nice moment when Violet is sad Isobel is engaged. It's not that Isobel is going to be ranked higher, it's the prospect of losing a companion for which she cares greatly.

In a twist, Anna is charged with murder. Bates eventually confesses just to free her and flees. Molesley and Baxter investigate on his behalf to prove his innocence.

This season is tiring. Part of it is spending more time on cousin Rose (Lily James). We didn't need another character with yet another wedding. Edith takes her child and runs. Edith could have been a good character, but the show makes her and several characters one note. Edith is jealous and immature, and I can't believe she hasn't had a pivot. In episode nine Edith and Robert finally have a frank discussion about the worst kept secret of the season.

Episode nine is a nice cap to the season. Of course it needed an engagement. Carson proposed to Mrs. Hughes. While this doesn't provide much foundation, it's a sweet gesture. Branson considers leaving for America despite finally calling Downton home.

Season 6:
Over six seasons this cover thirteen years, with this season starting in 1925. We've heard characters state times are changing since nearly the beginning. Labor prices are increasing and Robert wonders how they'll afford the staff. Carson would like to hire to prior levels, but initially he's unaware that won't happen. The family goes to a house auction where everything is being sold. It's a stark reminder of how expensive life has become for the aristocracy. Barrow is being pushed to find a new job as Carson doesn't like him. Unfortunately there are fewer jobs for staff as houses are going bankrupt.

Bates and Anna are both declared innocent. You might think Anna has suffered enough, but season six says absolutely not. She and Bates are having trouble conceiving.

Carson and Hughes are such a nice development, two people that respect each other. I like their marriage. It seems like like the show is trying to make up for all of the emotional manipulation and forced tragedy. Then again, with this show one of them may keel over dead at their reception. Hughes wants a reception her way and Carson is too devoted to the family to disagree with Mary who wants them to hold it in the house. It's ridiculous that Carson can't see Mrs. Hughes' side of it. He's blind with devotion. You'd think this would lead to a realization, but it doesn't.

S6E3: Phyllis Logan, Jim Carter play Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Carson

This relationship does reveal what this show has been missing, something wholesome. Hughes fakes an injury so that Carson has to cook and clean because he's been so critical of her. He finds a new found respect for the work. It's sweet and funny, which isn't something this show typically explores.

Mary is blackmailed for her Gillingham fling in season five, but Robert takes care of that. She then finds a new interest in Talbot (Matthew Goode). It's comical that he races cars with what happened to Matthew in season three. With each season the flaws are more noticeable. This show keeps reusing the same ideas. Mary rejects him, unable to reconcile her worries and his occupation.

I long grew tired of the petty fighting between Mary and Edith. They should be through this by now, having developed as characters. Bertie proposed to Edith, but she didn't tell him about her child. It's critical information that Mary tells Bertie just to hurt Edith. It's so childish. Mary and Edith have the argument they should have had in season two or three. Mary reconciles with Talbot and they get married way too quickly. I don't know why. Mary's life turns out fine, but Edith doesn't get to marry Bertie. I don't think the show likes her. Her arc more than proves that.

This season gives Barrow a bit of a redemption arc. He gets a new job and leaves Downton on good terms. Branson in contrast returns to Downton, realizing it was home all along. He just had to go to Boston to figure it out.

Just when you think the season will end on a happy note, Carson seems ill. This show never has anything good without something bad. It always pivots to the tragic. Carson's illness means Downton needs a butler. Barrow returns to Dowton. It's a bit sappy. Edith does get married to Bertie. That was a lot of drama for what should have been simple

I enjoy the premise of the show. Classes are divided just because of a set of stairs in this giant estate. I can never fathom how the aristocrats so easily see the servants as less than. They cling to discrimiation by calling it tradition, and that's easy to do when they're on the top floor. It's a great dynamic for story telling, but this show is focused on soap opera style drama. With each season, the faults become more apparent as tragedies are forced upon characters. It seems the show introduces an engagement whenever ideas become scarce. I enjoyed the first season the most and each additional season a bit less. By season five I began tiring of the repetition. Season six is annoying. I wish the show developed these characters more. I'd love to see more emotional triumphs as these characters grow and become better. These people need better arcs, and this show manages to hide the shortcomings throughout the series due in large part to the setting. Even with the last season concluding with most of the characters happy, it pivots so quickly at the very end that even that feels forced.