Downton Abbey Season 2 (2011)

The always formidable Maggie Smith dominates Downton and the Crawley family as the Dowager Countess of Grantham. Photo courtesy of BBC.

Posted by Janie Logan Jan 31, 2011, 4:08 GMT

If life at Downton could be so upset by the sinking of the Titanic and the drama surrounding an entailment, how will it be affected when the world goes to war? This is what we are left to wonder at the end of Downton Abbey's first season.
After my initial preview, I decided to wait until PBS had finished airing the final installment to write about it. Along the way, one can admire the nuanced performances or the clever dialogue. But only after watching the entire series can you appreciate the way that writer Julian Fellowes crafted a period piece as engrossing as any modern-day drama. The story slowly unravels over 6 hours that seem to pass in no time at all.
So often in stories about a noble family, the household staff is out of sight, out of mind. It never seems quite fair, given that their work is what makes things run smoothly and allows for the idle lifestyle that those with titles are entitled to. Downton Abbey takes a different approach and is all the better for it. Sure, the "upstairs, downstairs" nature of the arrangement means that they can't fully understand each other, but the lives of the servants and the served at Downton are clearly entwined.
The complex web of relationships is the driving force, for good and ill. So for all the selfish scheming of O'Brien and Thomas, or Edith and Mary, you also get the warmth of characters like Bates, Anna, and Sybil. Everyone has their moments of honor and weakness.
In the end, it's the little things that leave a lasting impression--Matthew allowing Molesley to help with his cufflinks; Mr. Carson practicing on the telephone, trying so hard to uphold the dignity of Downton as he contends with a confusing new device in an ever-changing world; Gwen getting the job as a secretary and realizing that she can make things different for herself; Robert breaking down in tears in front of Bates as he mourns the loss of his unborn son and the promise of security for his wife and daughters.
When the show is over, you are left feeling that you know these people intimately, and there is a moment of confusion after Robert Crawley utters the last words--"We are at war with Germany"--when you realize that you don't get to see what happens next until several months from now when Series 2 is completed. In the meantime, we must reside in 2011 and think of other things.

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