“Aren't all of us stuck with the choices we've made?”
I would like to start with an apology over the glib comments I used to close out last week's review, wherein I chastised Julian Fellowes for seeming to wrap up certain storylines in a way that seemed to return the show to its earlier status quo, and thus continue his weird defense of the British class system. Yet as the first half of tonight's concluding episodes (next week's two hour Christmas Special is treated as a quasi-separate entity) makes clear, things have seriously changed in Downton, regardless of whatever the family tries to do to stem the tide.
We opened tonight we a simple line about how all the soldiers (save for Matthew) had been moved out of the house, and the rooms were all being transformed back to their original state, but it didn't take long for objections to be arisen. Robert balks at Cora's aggressive regression to the status quo, as a by product of a self-identity crisis brought about by the war. Mary seems to revel in the new more masculine women's styles that are popping up in Paris, and other members of the family seem equally at ease with the looser, easier to use styles of clothing. Matthew's still trying to figure out his own identity as a crippled vet, and Lavinia is likewise changing her actions to suit Matthew's new state. Sybil feels restless in her new post-war, non-nursing state, and is looking to keep that working lifestyle around.
Meanwhile, the downstairs denizens are doing there own rethinking about their lives. Anna forces Bates to marry her (seriously, didn't that already happen?) in order that she no longer be left out of the loop on his affairs with his former, and now deceased, wife. Thomas attempts to keep the position of power he gained as the manager of the convalescent home by transitioning into the grocery black market that arose due to the food shortages of the war. Carson's still considering leaving to go work for Mary and Richard, where he will be able to mold the initial workforce to his liking. And when Ms. Hughes heres that Major Bryant's family is visiting Downton as the last place where the major was alive, she helps Ethel in an attempt to get someone to recognize Charlie's bloodline.
This setup of the new ideas trying to break out of the old system is an old one in television dramas, but it's lasted for so long specifically because it continues to work well when deployed properly, and for the most part, that's what we got last night. Seeing that Robert's flirtations – and occasional near sexing-ups – of new housemaid Jane took on great relevance when they become viewed as outgrowth on his quest for a new identity, which a surprising amount of gravitas to a subplot that I had dismissed so readily last week. Similarly, while the show hasn't really done a whole lot with the Sybil/Branson relationship over the past few weeks apart from reminding us that yes, he's still being a pushy asshole about her running away with him, seeing the full weight that comes down from the whole Crawley family when she does decide to start a new life with him feels like a payoff that's more or less worth the wait.
Obviously, reaction to the ending points of a lot of these plotlines is going to vary based on personal reaction to the plots a whole. For instance, I've made it very clear that I didn't care in the slightest for Ethel or her baby, based mostly on how grating I found her back in the premiere. Thus, I had no real vested interest in whether she got to meet Charlie's grandparents, and was still confused as to why Ms. Hughes felt the need to help her, apart from her generally caring nature. However, I will concede that seeing Ethel's pushiness upon the Bryant's arrival, busting into the lunch uninvited gave me a similar sort of thrill to that of Sybil and her own bucking of the hierarchy system. Additionally, I respect the Sophie's Choice style situation that she lands in wherein she can either keep her son and have him grow in poverty, or have him grow up rich but never know his mother.
In a second example, seeing Thomas bounce back from his loss of his military-induced power to dealing on the black market, and then having all of that blow up in his face is supposed to be taking use through an emotional journey of a character finding his place in society, and it's supposed to hurt when he is forced to go back to the humiliating position of foot servant withing Downton. However, apart from his emotional breakdown to O'Brien at finding out he had been had in the black market scheme, it's a bit hard to buy the emotions at play, for the simple fact that we are so used to Thomas being evil. His best moments in season one came from watching as he deliciously screwed over those around him, and at best his moments here reek of schadenfreude.
For a final example, we turn to Anna and Bates, and a story that should have ended about three episodes ago, but is still ongoing, dammit. There have been about three steps too many in this whole “Mrs. Bates just can't let Bates be happy” debacle, and while it seemed like we were over last week when she killed herself, the show now has to deal with the fallout. Adding yet another element (okay, three) to this story was just a frustratingly misguided for the show to do, especially when that first element was the idea that the show tried to sew in our minds that Bates had killed his former wife – as if such a moral man could do such a thing. However, the meeting of elements two and three – Bates and Anna's wedding and his subsequent arrest for murder – was a nice touch, and added some actual stakes/drama that had been sorely missed from the story.
But none of that hits at the heart of the hour, and really the heart of the series – Mary and Matthew's continued dance around their feelings for one another. In most series, a will-they-or-won't-they relationship is merely one storyline unto itself, existing alongside other plotlines, but what makes this one work so well is that Mary's tie to the Downton endtail allows the show to incorporate so many other elements as part of the story, and as the scope grows ever farther outward, the more fascinating it becomes.
Now, like many of the resolutions that were presented within these two hours, there was something perfunctory about the ending of the storyline. William's sudden reclamation of his ability to walk was teased last week, but it still reeks of contrivance, especially the revelation that Dr. Clarkson conferred with another physician that believe Matthew would walk again, but Clarkson didn't tell anybody. An even bigger contrivance when members of the house fell ill with Spanish Flu, including Lavinia, and that it was that illness – possibly couple with a broken heart – that killed her off, leaving a more open possibility for Matthew and Mary to get together.
But in spite of this clean resolution, the show doesn't completely shy away from the messiness of the situation, which is good considering it's the messiness that hold the best drama. Moments like when Mary and Matthew share a kiss while Lavinia is sick upstairs, or Matthew being plagued with guilt at her death and proclaiming that his and Mary's love is “cursed", not to mention all the reminders of the power that Richard has over Mary were all great dramatic flavoring, and a reminder of how dense and complicated this storyline can be when the show employs all of the elements correctly.
Next week brings us the two-hour Christmas special, which by all advance press, even those who criticized Downton's second season, it just straight up awesome, and I can't wait. However, looking over the closing two hours of the season proper, I'm not sure what's left to be covered. Sybil's going off with Branson, Carson gets to stay at Downton, and Lavinia's out of the way – just like we all could have predicted at the beginning of the series. That still leaves Bates' incarceration and Mathew and Mary's romance, but if this past season is any indication, we don't have any surprises waiting for us. So good ahead, Christmas Special, prove me wrong. I'd like a really delicious memory to go out on before the show departs for another year.
Quotes and Other Thoughts:
Cora was a real bitch at the top of the episode, and even though she made a show of going to help the refugees like Isobel did a couple of episodes back, her getting Spanish Flu seemed like a bit of comeuppance for her horrible behavior. Frankly, I'm surprised she didn't die as well, even as I concede that it made for a good fake-out with Lavinia's passing,
O'Brien almost told Cora about the time she let her slip on some slope, and ended up killing the baby. Man, that would have been awkward.
Even if I decried how little Daisy's had to do since William's died, he moment with Mr. Mason in the graveyard was a nice little scene.
Also enjoyable: Seeing Mosley crack under the pressure of filling in for Carson, and getting just royally pissed.
“Any bride who doesn't suck up to her husband's mother is a fool.”
“Will someone please tell me what's going on? Or have we all stepped through the looking glass?”
“Don't be defeatist dear, it's very middle class.”
“I'm sure Branson has some very good virtues...now, now, he's a very good driver.”
“If you're turning American on me, I'll go downstairs.”
“I'm afraid helpful is not something we associate you with.”
“I don't think that's an option Mr. Mosley. Neither I nor Mr. Mosley's liver could stand it.”
“Can you keep a secret? Well, I know you can.”
Meanwhile, the downstairs denizens are doing there own rethinking about their lives. Anna forces Bates to marry her (seriously, didn't that already happen?) in order that she no longer be left out of the loop on his affairs with his former, and now deceased, wife. Thomas attempts to keep the position of power he gained as the manager of the convalescent home by transitioning into the grocery black market that arose due to the food shortages of the war. Carson's still considering leaving to go work for Mary and Richard, where he will be able to mold the initial workforce to his liking. And when Ms. Hughes heres that Major Bryant's family is visiting Downton as the last place where the major was alive, she helps Ethel in an attempt to get someone to recognize Charlie's bloodline.
This setup of the new ideas trying to break out of the old system is an old one in television dramas, but it's lasted for so long specifically because it continues to work well when deployed properly, and for the most part, that's what we got last night. Seeing that Robert's flirtations – and occasional near sexing-ups – of new housemaid Jane took on great relevance when they become viewed as outgrowth on his quest for a new identity, which a surprising amount of gravitas to a subplot that I had dismissed so readily last week. Similarly, while the show hasn't really done a whole lot with the Sybil/Branson relationship over the past few weeks apart from reminding us that yes, he's still being a pushy asshole about her running away with him, seeing the full weight that comes down from the whole Crawley family when she does decide to start a new life with him feels like a payoff that's more or less worth the wait.
Obviously, reaction to the ending points of a lot of these plotlines is going to vary based on personal reaction to the plots a whole. For instance, I've made it very clear that I didn't care in the slightest for Ethel or her baby, based mostly on how grating I found her back in the premiere. Thus, I had no real vested interest in whether she got to meet Charlie's grandparents, and was still confused as to why Ms. Hughes felt the need to help her, apart from her generally caring nature. However, I will concede that seeing Ethel's pushiness upon the Bryant's arrival, busting into the lunch uninvited gave me a similar sort of thrill to that of Sybil and her own bucking of the hierarchy system. Additionally, I respect the Sophie's Choice style situation that she lands in wherein she can either keep her son and have him grow in poverty, or have him grow up rich but never know his mother.
In a second example, seeing Thomas bounce back from his loss of his military-induced power to dealing on the black market, and then having all of that blow up in his face is supposed to be taking use through an emotional journey of a character finding his place in society, and it's supposed to hurt when he is forced to go back to the humiliating position of foot servant withing Downton. However, apart from his emotional breakdown to O'Brien at finding out he had been had in the black market scheme, it's a bit hard to buy the emotions at play, for the simple fact that we are so used to Thomas being evil. His best moments in season one came from watching as he deliciously screwed over those around him, and at best his moments here reek of schadenfreude.
For a final example, we turn to Anna and Bates, and a story that should have ended about three episodes ago, but is still ongoing, dammit. There have been about three steps too many in this whole “Mrs. Bates just can't let Bates be happy” debacle, and while it seemed like we were over last week when she killed herself, the show now has to deal with the fallout. Adding yet another element (okay, three) to this story was just a frustratingly misguided for the show to do, especially when that first element was the idea that the show tried to sew in our minds that Bates had killed his former wife – as if such a moral man could do such a thing. However, the meeting of elements two and three – Bates and Anna's wedding and his subsequent arrest for murder – was a nice touch, and added some actual stakes/drama that had been sorely missed from the story.
But none of that hits at the heart of the hour, and really the heart of the series – Mary and Matthew's continued dance around their feelings for one another. In most series, a will-they-or-won't-they relationship is merely one storyline unto itself, existing alongside other plotlines, but what makes this one work so well is that Mary's tie to the Downton endtail allows the show to incorporate so many other elements as part of the story, and as the scope grows ever farther outward, the more fascinating it becomes.
Now, like many of the resolutions that were presented within these two hours, there was something perfunctory about the ending of the storyline. William's sudden reclamation of his ability to walk was teased last week, but it still reeks of contrivance, especially the revelation that Dr. Clarkson conferred with another physician that believe Matthew would walk again, but Clarkson didn't tell anybody. An even bigger contrivance when members of the house fell ill with Spanish Flu, including Lavinia, and that it was that illness – possibly couple with a broken heart – that killed her off, leaving a more open possibility for Matthew and Mary to get together.
But in spite of this clean resolution, the show doesn't completely shy away from the messiness of the situation, which is good considering it's the messiness that hold the best drama. Moments like when Mary and Matthew share a kiss while Lavinia is sick upstairs, or Matthew being plagued with guilt at her death and proclaiming that his and Mary's love is “cursed", not to mention all the reminders of the power that Richard has over Mary were all great dramatic flavoring, and a reminder of how dense and complicated this storyline can be when the show employs all of the elements correctly.
Next week brings us the two-hour Christmas special, which by all advance press, even those who criticized Downton's second season, it just straight up awesome, and I can't wait. However, looking over the closing two hours of the season proper, I'm not sure what's left to be covered. Sybil's going off with Branson, Carson gets to stay at Downton, and Lavinia's out of the way – just like we all could have predicted at the beginning of the series. That still leaves Bates' incarceration and Mathew and Mary's romance, but if this past season is any indication, we don't have any surprises waiting for us. So good ahead, Christmas Special, prove me wrong. I'd like a really delicious memory to go out on before the show departs for another year.
Quotes and Other Thoughts:
Cora was a real bitch at the top of the episode, and even though she made a show of going to help the refugees like Isobel did a couple of episodes back, her getting Spanish Flu seemed like a bit of comeuppance for her horrible behavior. Frankly, I'm surprised she didn't die as well, even as I concede that it made for a good fake-out with Lavinia's passing,
O'Brien almost told Cora about the time she let her slip on some slope, and ended up killing the baby. Man, that would have been awkward.
Even if I decried how little Daisy's had to do since William's died, he moment with Mr. Mason in the graveyard was a nice little scene.
Also enjoyable: Seeing Mosley crack under the pressure of filling in for Carson, and getting just royally pissed.
“Any bride who doesn't suck up to her husband's mother is a fool.”
“Will someone please tell me what's going on? Or have we all stepped through the looking glass?”
“Don't be defeatist dear, it's very middle class.”
“I'm sure Branson has some very good virtues...now, now, he's a very good driver.”
“If you're turning American on me, I'll go downstairs.”
“I'm afraid helpful is not something we associate you with.”
“I don't think that's an option Mr. Mosley. Neither I nor Mr. Mosley's liver could stand it.”
“Can you keep a secret? Well, I know you can.”
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