Cat: Hi, Stephanie! A new season of Downton has arrived and I’m looking forward to some great chats together as we dissect each episode. May much hilarity ensue—which isn’t too hard with a show like this. Season 5 kicked off with everyone playing their usual roles- Edith crying, Mary sniping, Lord Grantham scowling, the Dowager Duchess conniving. What are your thoughts on this first episode? What stands out to you?
Stephanie: Hi Catherine! Before last night’s episode, I saw a comment on twitter wondering which character would ride a bike. Opening shot: Edith on a bike. If anything, I think fans know this show and what to expect, which is both understandable but frustrating. You’re right that everyone seemed to be in their usual roles. While I love that in the case of the Dowager, it’s a bit of a letdown for characters like Thomas who seems to be conniving for conniving’s sake at this point.
Cat: Things kicked off right where they had left off last season but I was struggling to remember the details and I reviewed the show with Andrew last year! I could have sworn that Baxter’s secret had been revealed and I had no remembrance of poor Molesley’s name. Luckily his name came up about one hundred times during the hair dying scheme. I wasn’t sure what to think about that little story line. The hair dying was trying to be cute but succeeded in only being a strange and pointless. This episode was all about the little touches for me—Rose wearing a sweater I could have knit, the Dowager Duchess cocking an eyebrow and scheming and best of all the Duchess quoting a Jane Austen quote to Lady Shackleton, played by an actress who appeared in Emma Thompson adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. There’s even a former Miss Bingley in the cast. She’s the randy Lady Anstruther this time around which is not too far of a stretch from Miss Bingley, I thought.
Stephanie: Yes! I also noticed Miss Bingley from the 1995 BBC Pride & Prejudice. (I wouldn’t expect that to get past you!) So, the strangest part of last night’s episode for me was the timeline, primarily concerning Edith. Her child appears to be walking, and when we last left off, Edith had just had her child while away with the aunt in Europe. If a year or so passed, it seemed a little odd that the kitchen staff would still be talking about Ivy not being replaced and wondering about Bates and the valet who assaulted Anna. A whole year later? Hmmm…. Beyond that, the theme of change was pushed pretty hard. Carson’s reaction to his nomination for chairman of the war memorial was typical Carson- befuddled at such a shift away from tradition. Though I was a bit surprised to hear him comment later, “the nature of life is not permanence, but flux,” If anyone is to detest flux, it’s Carson.
Cat: I agree that his statement was surprising. He sounded like he was quoting it from a Latin inscription on a gravestone. Very solemn and resigned. Good old Carson. But I was a little disgusted that he got Lord Grantham on to the war memorial committee. I mean…really! The aristocracy’s sun is setting. Let them deal with it gracefully (or ungracefully if they chose to) and not soften the blow. I want good drama here, Downton! Lord Grantham was blustering once more at the dining room table. I do miss Season One Grantham. He was generous and kind with momentary reversals. Now he’s just tiny and sour. Mary’s insight on her father’s yelling at the schoolteacher Miss Bunting about politics did help some- “She made Papa say things he doesn’t mean and he hates himself afterwards.” That’s the nicest thing anyone has said about Grantham in a long time. And speaking of Mary…her openness with Anna about trying out sex with a potential husband made me blink! You’ll notice that Anna steered clear in getting involved with that discussion. When Tony propositioned Mary for a dirty weekend, I was crestfallen. There wasn’t any grace, humor, or romance in his offer or her acceptance at all.
Stephanie: In an era of such cultural change, Lord Grantham is really needing some serious hand holding. Pretty much every character he had interaction with spent time reassuring him or smoothing things over. Meanwhile, I found Grantham quite dismissive of his own wife. First, he bulldozed over her faint protest that they not invite a bunch of people over when it was their anniversary, leading her to concede “Whatever you want.” Later when Cora tried to get the scoop on some gossip alone in their room, he all but told her she didn’t need to know the details, end of story. So, later when Grantham said he hates not being wanted, I filled in Cora’s dialogue for her: “Funny, that’s something we have in common.” (Oh, if only I wrote for Downton!) I suppose this is all appropriate portrayal of the aristocracy; Lord Grantham is the head of the house and owns all the surrounding land. He’s the epitome of entitled, and the fact that his grandkids nicknamed him “Donk” is not going over so well. I’d personally like to see him squirm a little more. As for Mary and Anna’s little chat, Mary seems surprisingly reluctant about testing out the goods before marriage, almost as if she’s forgotten she bedded that Turk in season one (and moved his dead body!). I mean, after something like that, a weekend away with a dude doesn’t seem so scandalous. Though I get that Mary is keen about her own reputation, especially now that she shares management responsibilities over Downton.
Cat: And let’s not forget Cora mentioning that the Dowager Duchess will do anything to prevent Isabella from becoming a lady of the county which Grantham shot down. How could he brush that aside? Does he not know his own mother? It’s not like she hides who she is and what she’s up to. Ugh. Like you said, it’s poor Cora’s theme with her husband The best line for me in this episode came from Mrs. Patmore comforting Daisy. She’s got to be fairly practiced for that. While Daisy wails over her dyslexia (I’m assuming), Mrs. Patmore says, “All the best people were rubbish at numbers in school.” Truer words never spoken.
Stephanie: Ah, Mrs. Patmore. A more few quotables: in the category of “Totally Downton,” the line: “I’m going upstairs to take off my hat.” I would so love to use that excuse to get out of anything. And Mary again, being especially cruel to Edith like she gets paid for it: “Lady Edith chose to set fire to her room.” Yes, Lady Edith inconvenienced you all. She didn’t nearly die from smoke inhalation or burning to death. Also, maybe notice SHE’S SEVERELY DEPRESSED. Which really gets us off to a nice start for the season, right?
Cat: Mary kicking off a new season by being jerk is a Downton tradition. Edith full of woe is also a tradition. My money’s on Edith finding a new man and then her lost lover popping up. But we’ll see Will Edith ever get a break? Doubtful. Thanks for joining me for a great chat, Stephanie. I look forward to our next conversation and whatever wackiness Downtown delivers next.
Catherine Eaton is a contributor to The Stake. Catherine is a writer living in a western suburb of Chicago. She blogs over at sparrowpost.com and enjoys foraging around the neighborhood in her spare time.
Stephanie Scott is a Young Adult writer living in the western Chicago suburbs. Library superfan, award-winning TV-binger, and she just might be your cat’s new best friend. She tweets at @StephScottYA.
