Are You A Downton Abbey Fan?

Photo: itv

I am spending far too much of my leisure time re-watching seasons 1, 2 and 3 of Downton Abbey.  It's so well written and cast that I catch little details with each viewing.  Isn't it the best series to air in a long time?  Unlike so many other shows, Downton's twists and turns make perfect sense while being totally unpredictable.  Worth the price of the Blu-ray or DVD.

Each season the cast has grown, both in numbers and as a result of their experiences.  There are 24+ characters featured-in-detail, and I love the ensemble acting.  Even the bad characters are layered and gain your sympathy as plots thicken.  I truly appreciate how neither the series, nor the characters are black and white.  The creator, Jullian Fellowes, writes about times and a class system he knows very well.  Mr. Fellowes' wife is the daughter of an earl.

Downton Abbey is a series in which you invest in the characters.  As complicated as events get  -- and whether you agree or disagree with how characters behave -- you understand and root for them.

Watching Downton Abbey makes me think about a bygone era and the evolution of mores.  My God, were times harsh for everyone both upstairs and downstairs. The days were long, while the years were short, and if you were a servant, the work was endless.

After watching a Downton episode, certain thoughts run through my mind. Far from being original thoughts; they are clichés, but they are nonethess true.  Life is over in a heatbeat.  The world doesn't begin nor end with our present age.  Nothing and I mean, nothing ... people, places or things last forever.   Time changes things.  People can change with time and be changed by the times, but the more times change, the more people stay the same.  As Mr. Carson notes, "Human nature is a funny business."

Downton Abbey gets human nature right, and I can't wait for seaon 4.  Although the show would survive it, I hope none of the remaining characters want to leave.  I'd like to see a season 5 also. Just saying.

The cast on a press junket in New York City. Photo by just jared.

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