Downton Abbey is one of those shows that is getting a lot of buzz. I don't remember when I first heard about it, but I know that by the time I came home for Christmas, Netflix had suggested it to me, Tumblr and LiveJournal talked of nothing else, and even NPR ran a story on it. My friend Sara then posted a message on my Facebook wall telling me I had to watch it, and, well, who am I to argue with that? Plus, the first episode of season 2 was available for viewing on my long flight from Chicago to London, and while I decided not to watch it because I didn't want to be spoiled, I took it as a sign that my introduction to Downton Abbey should come sooner rather than later.
The first episode, cleverly titled "Episode One," actually takes place in April 1912, just after the sinking of the Titanic. This surprised me, as did the cast list; I was delighted to see Maggie Smith (better known to my generation as Professor McGonagall) and Dan Stevens (Edward Ferrars in the 2008 Sense and Sensibility miniseries) in the opening titles. The music is incredible, as are the costumes, and the whole thing looks very nicely produced.
The basic plot is this: Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) lives with his family (a wife and three daughters) and many, many servants on his country estate, Downton Abbey. There is an entail on the property, which means that for the same reason that none of the Bennet girls could inherit Longbourn in Pride and Prejudice, Lord Grantham's fortune will fall to the next male heir rather than his daughter Mary (Michelle Dockery). A telegraph is sent to Downton informing Lord Grantham that both the heir and his son perished on the Titanic, leaving the inheritance to a distant cousin. This is unacceptable to Lord Grantham's mother, the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), who is determined to find some way around the entail for the benefit of both Mary and the family. A wealthy duke comes to visit, and the family hopes he will make a good match for Mary, but he is instead revealed (to the audience, not the family) to have had an affair with a (male) servant and is not interested in marrying a girl with no legal claim to Downton.
Meanwhile, Lord Grantham hires his old friend (not sure if that's the right word to use) from the war (I think), John Bates (Brendan Coyle), to be his valet. Bates is lame, which does not endear him to the other servants, though Anna the housemaid (Joanne Froggatt) shows him kindness. Thomas, a footman (Rob James-Collier), is upset about Bates's appointment because he was hoping to be Lord Grantham's valet himself. Eventually, some of the servants go to Lord Grantham and tell him they think Bates's lameness is preventing him from doing his duties. Lord Grantham decides to dismiss Bates, who becomes very upset. The next morning, however, Lord Grantham changes his mind, and keeps Bates on as his valet. The episode ends with Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), the new heir, receiving the news of his inheritance.
As you can see, the plot is quite complicated, which made the pilot a bit difficult to follow in places. Nevertheless, I am intrigued. I was pleasantly surprised that the episode focused so much on the servants' lives; I figured that the show would be all about the Crawleys (the surname of Lord Grantham and his family), the upper-class, as most such costume dramas are. In retrospect, though, a dual focus on the family and their servants makes perfect sense; Britain has such a strong history of class divide that it seems only natural to make it a theme of a show about World War I, a time when class lines begin to blur a little. I am also interested to see how they will handle Thomas and his (presumed) homosexuality, considering the time period. I do hope we get some more likable characters out of the deal, though (or even better, good character development). I liked Bates very much, and some of the servants' dynamics were fun to watch, but Mary seems cold, the Dowager Countess very snobbish, and Lord Grantham rather aloof. Still, I'm willing to forgive; after all, this is just the pilot, and the critical acclaim this show has had is rather astounding. Can't wait to watch episode two - and since I'm watching it online, I don't half to. Ahh, my favorite thing about watching shows with complete seasons already out.
