Now I do realize that it has been a few weeks since season 4 of Downton ended. However, I am behind because my husband decided he wanted to jump on board the Downton Abbey train and we watched the previous first 3 seasons. So thanks to our DVR we have been able to watch this most recent season at our leisure. I originally started watching Downton with a very good friend of mine and we fell in love with the time period and the fabulous dialogue. I love Anna and Mr Bates, I hate Thomas Barrow and Ms O'Brian and have thoroughly enjoyed both of those emotions. There is just nothing like good TV.
I will admit to being upset when they killed off Sybil, very upset. I will also admit to howling at the TV in agony as Matthew was driving down the road after his baby was born. We all knew what was coming. When I watched it for the second time with my husband he just kept saying "He's dead. Yep he's dead. Did they really just kill Matthew?!" Oh they really just killed Matthew. I was so angry that I actually considered a DA boycott. That is another part of the reason I just finished the fourth season. I was on a halfhearted boycott. But when it came down to the end of the third season with my husband enough time had passed that I was willing to head in to the new season with him.
I approved of the way Mary's grief was handled (don't you just love how I approve and boycott things, as if my opinion really matters....). There was concern that it would drag on and on but I really liked that she bonded with Tom over the shared widowhood issue and also that it was saving Downton that gave her purpose. Ok so here's the thing. What the heck happened with Anna?! Oh my gosh Adrian (my husband) and I sat there in horror as she was shoved in the sewing room and the door was slammed. Anna is my favorite character. She is kind, generous, loyal and has a backbone. The woman isn't afraid to fight for what she wants. She will visit her husband in prison and help her employer move a body in the middle of the night. Why couldn't they have just left her alone? It was so dark and completely disturbing I had bad dreams that night. The writers of DA have done some crazy things ( ie Mr Pamook....) but to have that kind of violence acted out on a beloved character pushed me over the edge. Adrian and I took a break from DA for awhile. We even debated being done with the show altogether. But I just couldn't leave Anna like that so we headed back in.
Happily the season did pull itself together and Anna and Mr Bates have been able to find some peace. By the way I absolutely believe he (Mr Bates) had a hand in the villains death and I'm so flipping glad that he did. I have enjoyed Mary's 2 new suitors, although by the end of the season finale I really was ready for that to wrap up. I love Mrs Hughes and the end of the season finale with her and Mr Carson just grabbed my heart. Don't even get me started on Edith. They are obviously setting up for WW2 and I'm very glad she didn't have an abortion but Edith has never had a good story line and she just borders on the pathetic too often. By the end of the finale Adrian and I just looked at each other and went huh that was really unsatisfying. We wish there would have been a little more substance. No one needs to die (are we worried Old Lady Grantham's going to kick it?) for a show to be satisfying. How much longer do we think DA is going to be around? Are they wrapping up our favorite English soap opera? Who knows, probably not. But are the best season's behind us? I think that is the more prudent question.....
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